A Faith Worth Everything
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Philippians 3:1–11 (ESV)
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
We continue our series in Philippians today. As a refresher, this book is a letter written by Paul to the church of Philippi. While he’s writing this letter, he’s been imprisoned by the Romans.
Encouraging, edifying, directing the church even while he’s essentially in prison.
Keeping that in mind, let’s read the first verse.
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
We get the sense that Paul has been talking about rejoicing quite a bit. He keeps returning to this idea and acknowledges that it’s repetitive. The Philippians culture was one that wanted to hear the new and latest thing. They wanted new ideas. But here Paul revisits the same, simple idea of rejoicing in the Lord.
The same goes for us. We never graduate from this truth. There’s a reason we preach the Gospel every week. It never gets old. It will always be necessary to talk about. And let’s be honest, we need the repetition. How many times have to repeat something to you for you to finally hear it?
Embrace the repetition.
So, he says rejoice in the Lord. Paul will emphasize this even more in the next chapter, which we’ll look at in a few weeks. Even though he’s been stripped of his freedom. Even though The church is facing persecutIon.
This is key for the Christian to understand. We are not to rejoice in our circumstances. Circumstances change, moods change, we have good and bad days. If we were to count on receiving joy based on how our day goes we’d be hopeless.
And yet, that’s how some of us live. Up and Down, Up and Down. We allow circumstances to determine our worth.
This is Why we are called to rejoice in the Lord. Not in anything or anyone else.
Paul says that to rejoice in the Lord is safe. Now why would he say this when he’s sitting in prison because of his faith? The church is being persecuted because of their faith. That’s not exactly safe.
When we rejoice in the Lord we come to have joy in the Lord, which makes other distractions/temptations not so attractive in comparison to what we have in the Lord.
Kent Hughes says in his book on Philippians “The taste of joy renders the tempter’s offerings bland by comparison.”
The things that once captivated me now are distasteful in comparison. When we continue to live in the joy of Christ, it becomes more difficult to look elsewhere for joy.
1. Rejoicing in the Lord produces a joy that can only be found in Him.
Rejoicing is not only a necessary act of glorifying God, but in that, we are able to stand firm no matter the circumstances. The desire to turn to someone or something else other than Jesus fades as we continue to find our joy in Him alone.
In the next chapter Paul says in
Philippians 4:4 (ESV)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
Always! Not sometimes. Not when we feel like it.
He is always worthy of praise. He is always worthy of our attention and affection.
As we keep reading, you’ll see that Paul is outraged about a certain group of people in the church. While giving direction to the church of Philippi he warns them to watch out for a group called the Judaizers.
Judaizers = A Judaizer was a Jewish Christian (or apparently a christian) who taught that a Gentile Christian (non Jew) had to follow the Mosaic Law which included circumcision.
This would be problematic as it completely goes against the message of the Gospel. This group is essentially saying that Jesus’ sacrifice isn’t enough. It’s not by faith alone in their eyes.
Paul uses three terms in this passage to describe the Judaizers. And in it he uses some irony and sarcasm…
He calls the Judaizers “dogs.” (v.2)
Dogs we’re not domesticated animals that we love today. Cute and fluffy…No they were wild, nasty, unclean dogs. For many Jews, to call someone a dog would be to call them unclean. Which is how they saw the Gentiles.
Yet, here Paul is using that same term to define the Judaizers. Throwing it back in their face.
What’s the application here? Don’t be a dog…
He calls them “evildoers.” (v.2)
This was a group that prided themselves on being doers of the law. Righteous and holy.
But Paul argues that they’re outside of the bounds of the New Covenant and attempting to lead others astray. So instead, they’re doers of evil.
Don’t be an evildoer…
Paul then describes this group as “those who mutilate the flesh.”
The big fuss is about circumcision. They believed everyone should be circumcised. Jew and Greek.
They were unwilling to budge on a practice that they viewed as necessary. In 1 Kings, the same term is used to describe the self mutilation of the prophets of Baal. It was tied to heathens. Unclean people. And here Paul uses the same term to describe them. “You’re not the circumcision party, you just mutilate the flesh. What you’re doing is meaningless because it’s without the Spirit of God.”
In verses 2 to 3 Paul makes a distinction between those who are living by outward appearance and those who are living inwardly through the Holy Spirit.
Then he describes the faithful believers. THESE people are the “circumcision party” in other words. They’re God’s people.
Paul’s making a huge point by calling those who worship by the Spirit of God (true Christians) the “circumcision.” The jewish people he’s getting after, the Judaizers, are trying to find righteousness in their outward actions. Every Jewish boy was circumcised, that was a command from God in the Old Testament and it was used as a symbolic and physical way of setting the Israelites apart as God’s people. The Gentiles (non-Jewish people) are not called to stick to this same rule. And Paul makes it clear that the act of circumcision doesn’t justify you. It doesn’t make you right. It’s by faith.
But you have a group of people elevating themselves above the other Christians and attacking them by basically saying “we’re Jews so we’re God’s people. Not you. You’re not even circumcised.” But Paul says no, the true circumcision party, the true people of God, are those who live by faith in Christ Jesus.
This happens today. Maybe not the same exact issues but the heart that these people had is relevant. They looked down on the Gentiles. We might find ourselves looking down on others because they look or talk difference than us.
We might also find ourselves making the same mistake that the Judaizers made. Trying to add on to the Gospel. Either in our own faith and/or the faith of those around us. No amount of works can save us. It’s only by faith alone.
A question that’s always relevant is “do you love Jesus?” And by that love, I mean, do you have faith in Jesus?
Because some people will in their own way, come Sunday morning just to look the part. Their outward appearance is great. They’re at church every week, they don’t have a foul mouth, they’re clean, they do all the “right” things. But joy is missing. Love is missing. Humility is missing.
One of the best examples of a genuine Christian person in my life who’s just looking to grow in Christ and encourage others to do the same doesn’t look the part. He’s tatted up, piercings, has had the long hair, and he’s just bit rough around the edges. But if you met him, you’d see his heart for God and for people. The care he has for those around us is contagious. That’s a brother in Christ. That’s a mark of a believer.
Don’t focus on your outward appearance or outwards works to make you right before God. You’re only feeding yourself lies if you think just looking the part is gonna get you by. In fact, by doing that you’re going against the Gospel! It’s by faith. Place your faith in Christ and watch him go to work in your life.
God’s people worship by the Spirit of God. Our confidence is in him and not in the flesh. Not in ourselves or anyone else. It’s in Christ alone.
4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
Again, Paul throws it back in their face. Here’s a laundry list of things that would make Paul righteous in the eyes of the Judaizers. He was circumcised on the eighth day as a Jew would have been. So from the beginning. He’s on the inside. He’s obviously an Israelite, He’s of the tribe of Benjamin, which was the only son born in the Promised Land and the only tribe that stayed faithful to Judah and House of David when the people were divided. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews meaning he spoke both Hebrew and Aramaic, when many Jews could only speak Greek. He was an educated man. He was also a Pharisee. The most prestigious/well respected group of Jews. Not only was he a Pharisee, but he was a zealous one. Willing to stop at nothing in “the name of God.” If you read through Acts, you’ll find that Paul was at the stoning of Stephen (the first recorded Christian martyr) and approved that stoning. Lastly, he said that he was blameless. Not that he was necessarily perfect. But did everything according to what the Mosaic Law asked for. And where he failed, he took the right steps that a Jew would take for purification and forgiveness.
He’s telling the church, hey if there is anyone who can brag about who he is and what he’s done it’s me. In the eyes of the Jews, he was a top dog.
BUT he says “whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ…I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
What Paul considered wins in life. His status, power, zeal… all that was worthless now. What he considered gain in life he now saw as loss.
And Christ, the one he used to see as the enemy. Who would’ve been in his loss column is now gain.
This is what we mean when we talk about transformation or being made new in Christ. Paul’s whole purpose in life flipped. He went from persecuting Christians to dying as one. He went from elevating himself as the best religious man out there to humbling himself and claiming to be the worst of sinners.
His perspective, his attitude, his actions, his words.. Everything was affected by the work that Christ did in his heart.
This is what happens when we surrender to Christ. Our purpose shifts to His purpose. We’re no longer living for ourselves but for Him. And going back to sanctification (growing closer to Christ each day) these things only progress and get better with time. The maturity of faith that Paul has here in Philippians didn’t just happen overnight. It took time for him to develop as this leader that God called him to be. He may have not even fully understood what God was going to do through him, but he followed in faith. And we get this beautiful example in Paul. A man who used to be so cruel in his attempt to live for God, now is loving, caring, and humble.
Philippians 3:8–11 (ESV)
8b For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
2. Christ is the only one worth living for.
All his achievements in life are garbage he says. In comparison to Christ, it’s worthless. It’s not good. And Paul never takes the credit.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1 says
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
So we’re going to explore what it looks like to take on the same heart as Paul here.
He says all of these achievements, the status he had, everything is trash/garbage because it was founded in self-righteousness rather than in righteousness that comes from Christ alone.
We all have the tendency to place our worth in the things we’ve inherited and/or accomplished. But, the reality is.. that resume in comparison to Christ is garbage. It’s worth absolutely nothing.
Some of us in this room today may feel a bit defensive over this. Maybe you’ve worked your whole life for the career you have now. You’ve put so much time and energy into the things you have today. Yet, here I am saying it’s worthless. Paul recognized that everything he had a part from Christ was worthless because the only place he was actually able to find worth and purpose was in Christ?
What do you pride yourself in today? A prized possession you’d protect at all costs. Your reputation, status, wealth…
Are you willing to lay it down at his feet?
Trash illustration:
Some of us find ourselves in a place like Paul used to be in trying to justify ourselves by our works…
(throw accomplishments in the trash)
- (talk about status inherited and status earNed. All worthless in comparison to Christ.)
*Why? Why are you doing it?*
the motivation behind what we do matters.
Why? It’s not that all of those things are worthless. We should be doing these things. They’re good things. But when they’re used as a means to gain status with the Lord it’s all worthless.
-
But some of us find ourselves on the flip side of this.
What are you’re doing in place of ministry? Maybe some things that you’ve placed above God and His mission.
The things we attempt to do with the intent of elevating ourselves is worthless.
The bottom line is it’s not Christ plus anything. Whether that be inside or outside the church. And we consistently make the mistake of trying to justify ourselves by all that we do in the church or justify our lack of commitment to the church by everything that we’re doing outside of the church. We even make the mistake of making a blessing from God a means by which we’re saved. It should all be considered garbage in comparison to Christ.
What does Paul say?…
Philippians 3:9 (ESV)
not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
3. Being made right with God comes by placing your faith in Jesus alone.
It’s not our own doing, but God’s. It’s not cause Paul is just sooo awesome. It’s Jesus! He’s the one that redeemed Paul in the first place.
And it all depends on faith. Without faith, the things we do are pointless. And without faith we’ll never understand what it is God is looking to do through us.
What does it look like for you to put confidence in the flesh?
that’s what Paul is getting at. He said he used to put confidence in all of his achievements and birth rights to make him righteous before God.
What does that look like for you?…
And verse 10 points us to surrender to a powerful God we serve. We know that Christ died on the cross for our sins, but it doesn’t end with that.
Whenever you have a conversation with someone about Christ and what he did for us and you start talking about the cross and how He died for us. Don’t just end it with saying “Hey he died for your sins.” Okay? What does that do for me?
That’s not the good news! It’s that Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that he could then crush all of our sins by rising from the dead, defeating death itself. He’s not dead, he’s not in the ground, he is alive today!
Paul points to the power of the resurrection and then he says so that i “may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
Do you see what he’s getting at here? He’s willing to suffer for Christ. Not just believe in him, not just take on the convenient title of “Christian.” Which by the way, in that time it wasn’t convenient at all to be a Christian. It was safer to avoid making it known that you were. Paul is willing to put it all on the line. Not just status, not just his wealth, or reputation with people he knows. His own life.
“Are you sticking around for that? If you identify as a follower of Christ, to what extent are you willing to go?” Are you willing to do anything for Christ? Even if it makes you uncomfortable or inconveniences you? Or it causes you pain?
We’re called to surrender.
Rejoice in the Lord
1. Do you have the Spirit of God? Have you surrendered to Christ?
2. Do you identify with being loving, caring, and humble as a person? I that you or not?
3. Nothing else matters in comparison to Christ
4. Surrender to Christ
